The disclosures of the following priority applications are herein incorporated by reference:
Japanese Patent Application No. 10-59496, filed Mar. 11, 1998
Japanese Patent Application No. 10-63349, filed Mar. 13, 1998
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic camera such as a video camera, a digital still camera or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, electronic cameras achieved by rotatably linking an image-capturing unit main body that generates an image by capturing the optical image of a subject and a display unit main body that displays the image thus generated have been developed. Under normal circumstances, a photographic lens and an image capture element are provided at the image-capturing unit main body of such an electronic camera. In addition, the display unit main body is provided with a liquid crystal display (LCD).
By using this electronic camera, the operator can capture an image of the subject with the photographic lens provided at the image-capturing unit main body turned in any direction freely, e.g., upward or downward as well as forward, while monitoring the image on the display screen of the LCD provided at the display unit main body. In addition, the image can be reproduced right on the spot where the image has been captured for verification.
However, since the LCD provided at the display unit main body consumes a great deal of electric power, the battery becomes depleted quickly and, as a result, there is a problem in that image capturing cannot be performed while visually checking images on the display screen on the LCD over an extended period of time.
Thus, it is desirable that an optical viewfinder be mounted at the electronic camera so that the subject can be monitored even when the LCD is turned off.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic camera having an optical viewfinder provided at a position that assures a high degree of efficiency, which achieves good weight balance and outstanding operability.
In order to attain the above object, an electronic camera according to the present invention comprises: a substantially rectangular parallelepiped image-capturing unit main body provided with an image-capturing device for generating an image signal by capturing an optical image formed by a photographic lens unit; a substantially rectangular parallelepiped display unit main body provided with an external display device for displaying an image based upon the image signal generated by the image-capturing device; and a linking portion that links the image-capturing unit main body and the display unit main body in a manner that the image-capturing unit main body and the display unit main body can rotate relative to each other, wherein: at the display unit main body, a shutter release button is provided and a grip portion is provided near an end surface furthest away from the image-capturing unit main body; and at the image-capturing unit main body, an optical viewfinder unit is provided beside the photographic lens unit.
In the above electronic camera, preferably: the linking portion links the image-capturing unit main body and the display unit main body so that one surface of the substantially rectangular parallelepiped image-capturing unit main body and one surface of the substantially rectangular parallelepiped display unit main body face opposite each other; and the optical viewfinder unit and the photographic lens unit are provided at the image-capturing unit main body so that optical axes of the optical viewfinder unit and the photographic lens unit are aligned in a longitudinal direction of the one surface of the image-capturing unit main body. Furthermore, preferably, a distance from a first surface of the image-capturing unit main body at which an objective window of the optical viewfinder unit is provided to a central axis of rotation and a distance from a second surface of the image-capturing unit main body at which an eyepiece window of the optical viewfinder unit is provided to the central axis are set equal to each other.
Also, preferably, individual components constituting the image-capturing unit main body and the display unit main body are positioned to ensure that a center of gravity of the electronic camera is located in the display unit main body. Furthermore, preferably: a battery chamber for housing a battery is provided at the display unit main body toward the end surface; and the photographic lens unit is provided at the image-capturing unit main body further toward the linking surface relative to the optical viewfinder unit.
Also, preferably, one or more connector terminals for connection with external apparatuses are provided at the display unit main body. In this case, one of the connector terminals for connection with external apparatuses is an external power source terminal. Preferably, among the connector terminals for connection with external apparatuses, a digital input/output terminal is provided at the end surface of the display unit main body.
Also, preferably, the image-capturing unit main body is further provided with a flash unit. Furthermore, preferably, the flash unit is provided with the optical viewfinder unit positioned between the photographic lens unit and the flash unit.
Also, preferably, the grip portion is formed in an elongated shape and is provided near the end surface along a longitudinal direction of the end surface.
Another electronic camera comprises: a substantially rectangular parallelepiped image-capturing unit main body provided with a photographic lens unit, a photographic lens unit drive device for driving back and forth at least a portion of the photographic lens unit and an image-capturing device for generating an image signal by capturing an optical image formed by the photographic lens unit; a substantially rectangular parallelepiped display unit main body provided with an external display device for displaying an image based upon the image signal generated by the image-capturing device; and a linking portion that links the image-capturing unit main body and the display unit main body in a manner that the image-capturing unit main body and the display unit main body can rotate relative to each other. And the photographic lens drive device is provided at the image-capturing unit main body on a side that is distanced across the photographic lens unit from a linking surface linking the image-capturing unit main body with the display unit main body.
In this electronic camera, preferably, an optical viewfinder unit is provided at the image-capturing unit main body on the side distanced from the linking surface, beside the photographic lens unit; and the photographic lens drive device is provided in a space formed between the photographic lens unit and the optical viewfinder unit. Furthermore, preferably, the photographic lens unit is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape and the space is formed along an external circumference of the cylindrical shape.
A camera comprising: an optical unit provided with a photographic optical system that has at least a first lens group and a second lens group and forms an image of a subject, an image-capturing device that captures an image of the subject via the photographic optical system, a first drive device that drives back and forth the first lens group, a second drive device that drives back and forth the second lens group, and an optical viewfinder that forms a view field image. And, at the optical unit, the photographic optical system and the optical viewfinder are provided beside each other, and the first drive device and the second drive device are each arranged in either one of two spaces formed between the photographic optical system and the optical viewfinder in a direction intersecting a direction in which the photographic optical system and the optical viewfinder are provided beside each other.
In this camera, preferably, at the optical unit, a guide shaft for both the first lens group and the second lens group is arranged in a middle space enclosed by the photographic optical system, the viewfinder optical system, the first drive device and the second drive device.
Also, preferably, the optical unit has a first sensor for detecting a lens position of the first lens group and a second sensor for detecting a lens position of the second lens group; one of the first sensor and the second sensor is arranged in a space extending from the first drive device along a direction of lens optical axis; and another one of the second sensor and the first sensor is arranged in a space extending from the second drive device along the direction of the lens optical axis.
Also, preferably, the optical unit has: a zoom control device that varies a zoom quantity for the photographic optical system by controlling the first drive device and the second drive device; a focal point control device that varies a focal position of the photographic optical system by controlling the first drive device; and an interlocking mechanism that transmits a drive force imparted by the second drive device toward the optical viewfinder through movement of the second lens group to cause a lens of the optical viewfinder to engage in a zooming movement. Furthermore, preferably, a control resolution at the first drive device is finer than a control resolution at the second drive device. Or, preferably, the second drive device has a higher thrust and a longer stroke than the first drive device.